Education

There is a common misconception that gifted children usually do well in the classroom. However, it is not necessarily true that a gifted child will be a high achiever. A gifted child is often defined as having an IQ in excess of 130; this is two standard deviations above the norm. However, this does not necessarily mean a child will be successful at school; it can mean that a gifted child is not well suited to the pace of a regular school curriculum – and the more gifted the child the more of a mismatch can occur. Gifted children can even be at risk in the normal classroom. Additionally, gifted students are not always the easiest to teach and can sometimes make for challenging situations in the classroom. Of course, some gifted students do achieve well at school – every child is different. Here you can find the top myths that relate to gifted education and what gifted children really need in the classroom.

It is advantageous to find a school that is committed to its gifted students. During their training teachers are not required to learn about the specific needs of gifted children, so it is worthwhile asking a school if they have staff who are either trained in giftedness, or have a passion for learning more about the subject, and are proactive in doing so. Gifted children often need a differentiated curriculum, and may need to be extended in various areas. See the page on acceleration for further information.

In Western Australia you will find schools that are academically selective, in that they only accept children who have passed an entrance exam. Some schools offer full time gifted streaming, and there are also part-time gifted pull-out and extension programs available in both primary and secondary schools. You can find more information on academically selective schools and gifted programs on the Education in WA page.

Hopefully, through reading these pages relating to education, and the links provided for further reading, you’ll discover that educating a gifted child can sometimes be a joy, sometimes be a challenge – but it is rarely boring!

What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child. – George Bernard Shaw

Gifted and Talented Programs: 21st Dec 2015
Applications for the 2016 round of testing for WA's Gifted and Talented Programs are now open. For more information please see the Department of Education's website.
You can also find further information here: Gifted Education in Western Australia
Very best wishes to everyone sitting the test :)....

Making Friends: 16th Dec 2015 "Making friends can be hard for any child, but for socially awkward gifted children or twice-exceptional kiddos, the challenge is only multiplied. While their brains are working on overdrive, and they can have an intelligent conversation with an adult expert in the field in which they are interested, put them in...

Did you know...: 9th Nov 2015 Did you know that parents are often the most accurate identifiers of their child's giftedness? Macquarie University's Special Education Centre advise schools to:
"Take parents seriously if they ask for more challenge or for investigation of their child’s abilities. Some parents are hesitant to make the first move, so invite all...

"Your Mental Health is More Important than your Grades": 27th Oct 2015 As the frenzy of exam season arrives here in Australia, and recent research suggests that those most at risk of falling prey to exam anxiety are gifted girls, it's a good time to take stock and remember that grades are not the bee-all and end-all.
"It's no joke. A recent report from the...

Neglecting Our Brightest Students: 19th Oct 2015 "The smartest kid in class, by contrast, is not an expensive problem. A boy or girl who finishes an assignment early can be handed a book and told to read quietly while the teacher works on getting other children caught up. What would clearly be neglect if it happened to...

Giftedness: The Word That Dare Not Speak Its Name?: 27th Sep 2015
Many people, including educators and academics, state that we should not use the term 'gifted'. To be honest, there are better words that I believe suit gifted children: asynchronous, cognitively advanced, and so the list goes on! However, whilst ‘gifted’ is a loaded term, and one that is unfortunately all...